Learn to Read Form
Race form is displayed in an extremely unique way and is a historical breakdown of all a horses’ previous runs. It also provides important details such as age, weight as well as the potential application of headgear. If you fancy your chances of making a profit, it’s vital that you learn the abbreviations and fully immerse yourself in the terminology before you begin wagering.
Each race will be set out in the same way, which makes it much easier to decipher and form cards can be easily found online.
Listen to the Experts
Manage Your Bank Roll
Before you place your first bet, it’s important to make sure that you are confident in managing your money . This includes deciding on your budget (and sticking to it!) and working out how much you are willing to stake per bet. Less experienced punters are likely to stake around 2% of their bank roll per bet, whereas those with a little more confidence may increase this to around 5%.
If you don’t have a staking plan, it will be hard to make a consistent profit.
Keep a Record of Your Bets
Life is extremely busy and it can be tough to keep of track of every single bet, yet it is undoubtedly worth creating a basic spreadsheet for your wagering information. This document does not necessarily need to crunch the numbers, however, it is worth being able to see which types of bets and races are profitable and if there are any races/days/weeks/tracks that you tend to struggle with.
Stick to Your System
Try Not to Become too Down-hearted
Every punter is likely to hit a bad run of form at some point and it’s crucial to respond proactively.
Watch as Much Racing as Possible
Even if you have zero financial interest in a race, it may still be worth watching it. Immersing yourself in the sport is absolutely vital and by tuning into every single race, you’re more likely to become familiar with a horses running style or the way in which a particular jockey copes with a tricky ride. You may also spot a fast-finishing horse, which could be worth noting down ahead of its next appearance.
Be Selective with Your Races
You don’t have to bet in every single race. The most successful punters tend to be the most selective. If you aren’t 100% sure of your selection OR there are 3-4 different options, then it is strongly advised to take a watching brief.
Each day, there are several races which can be described as ‘competitive’ or ‘trappy’ and wagering in these type of contests is unlikely to yield long-term profit.